Blood Of The Vines - Robert Duvall Week

Pairing‌‌‌ ‌‌‌wine‌‌‌ ‌‌‌with‌‌‌ ‌‌‌movies!‌‌‌ See‌‌‌ ‌‌‌the‌‌‌ ‌‌‌trailers‌‌‌ ‌‌‌and‌‌‌ ‌‌‌hear‌‌‌ ‌‌‌the‌‌‌ ‌‌‌fascinating‌‌‌ ‌‌‌commentary‌‌‌ ‌‌‌for‌‌‌ ‌‌‌these‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌movies‌,‌‌ ‌‌‌and‌‌‌ ‌‌‌many‌‌‌ ‌‌‌more‌,‌‌ ‌‌‌at‌‌‌ ‌‌‌Trailers‌‌‌ ‌‌‌From‌‌‌ ‌‌‌Hell.‌‌‌ This week, we salute another great actor who is no longer with us.

In 2009's Crazy Heart, Robert Duvall plays a bartender who helps a country singer named Bad Blake get his life on track. Jeff Bridges does a fine job as the burned out, broken down, hardcore troubadour. Bridges got most of the notice in the film, while Duvall got to play another heartfelt supporting role. He even got to sing.

The film was a big success, getting praise from critics, dollars from paying customers, and a Best Actor Oscar for Bridges. The Academy also awarded a statue to the song, The Weary Kind, written by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett. I mean, how often will I get to mention T Bone Burnett in this column?

Crazy Wines Cabernet Sauvignon is from Chile, and retails for about $60. New York's Channing Daughters Winery makes a dry white blend called Heart for $20. Get one of each for Crazy Heart and enjoy the show that much more. 

1979's Apocalypse Now is generally considered to be Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece, a film which resides in just about any cinematic "Best Of" list you can find.  Besides giving us a dark and soul-searching vision of the Vietnam War, it also injected several phrases into the popular lexicon.  Who among us hasn't paraphrased Duvall's catch phrase, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning." His shirtless Cavalry cowboy claims napalm smells like victory. Time had a different sense of it.

Duvall's Colonel Kilgore also justified his helicopter assault on an enemy beach just so he could ride the waves. His line, "Charlie don't surf," is tossed away like a live grenade. 

While we can't say that Coppola's Diamond Collection Merlot will smell like victory, it may well take you to your virtual heart of darkness.  As one of my favorite bartenders used to scream every time I walked through the door, "Schlagers!"

Duvall made his bones in cinema history in 1972, with his portrayal of Tom Hagen, the Corleone family's lawyer in The Godfather. His level-headed persona stood in direct contrast to some of the more quick-tempered elements of the crime family. 

The head of Woltz International Pictures didn't realize who he was dealing with when he told Hagen that Johnny Fontaine could take a flying leap. Hagen's response was, "Mr. Corleone never asks a second favor, once he’s refused the first. Understood?" His cool, even tone laid the groundwork for the horse head scene that followed. 

Don Corleone would probably like a nice Nero d'Avola, a hearty red wine that's full-bodied, like the Don. It's also usually not blended, but allowed to stand on its own two feet, like a man. The grape comes from Avola, which is on the other side of Sicily from the Don's birthplace of Corleone. Is there, however, a winemaker in Avola who would deny The Godfather a bottle of his finest? $21.

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A Kosher White Wine For Passover

The Herzog family moved to the United States in 1948, but they had already been producing wine in their native Czechoslovakia for six generations. The Herzogs survived fascism and communism before leaving Europe. They now specialize in kosher wines from a variety of locations in California, one of them being Clarksburg, on the Sacramento River.

The 2024 Herzog Lineage Chenin Blanc is made from grapes grown in Clarksburg. Alcohol hits 13.5% abv and the price is just over $21.

This pale yellow wine has a nose that bursts with citrus minerality and dried apricot. The palate brings a good level of acidity and flavors of Meyer lemon, apple, and orange zest. It's a refreshing wine, one that will pair well with any sort of seafood, especially shellfish. 

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Sicilian White Wine That Outkicks Its Price

Here’s another low-priced wine which I picked up for cooking and got the surprise that it was actually fairly nice to drink. The 2023 Piccolo Fiore Bianco is a southern Italian wine, Terre Siciliane IGT. 

From what I could glean on various internet mentions, it was made from Chardonnay and Catarratto Bianco grapes. It was imported by Vinum International of Napa. Alcohol sits at 12.5% abv and the reasonable price was $9 at Whole Foods Market.

This wine has a muted nose which features hints of citrus, flowers, and salinity. The palate is livelier, with big notes of lemon and minerality, and a decent acidity. It's good if you need a white wine for cooking, but it pairs nicely with seafood, risotto, or pasta primavera. 

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Blood Of The Vines - Bud Cort Week

Pairing‌‌‌ ‌‌‌wine‌‌‌ ‌‌‌with‌‌‌ ‌‌‌movies!‌‌‌ See‌‌‌ ‌‌‌the‌‌‌ ‌‌‌trailers‌‌‌ ‌‌‌and‌‌‌ ‌‌‌hear‌‌‌ ‌‌‌the‌‌‌ ‌‌‌fascinating‌‌‌ ‌‌‌commentary‌‌‌ ‌‌‌for‌‌‌ ‌‌‌these‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌movies‌,‌‌ ‌‌‌and‌‌‌ ‌‌‌many‌‌‌ ‌‌‌more‌,‌‌ ‌‌‌at‌‌‌ ‌‌‌Trailers‌‌‌ ‌‌‌From‌‌‌ ‌‌‌Hell.‌‌‌ This week, we look back fondly on three films featuring the late Bud Cort.

1971's Harold and Maude stars Cort and Ruth Gordon in a May/December relationship. He's a young man fascinated by death, and she's old enough to kick the bucket at any time. A match made in heaven. 

Bob Evans at Paramount must have heard "told ya so" a time or two, because the movie attracted neither critics nor paying customers. Both groups eventually came around when the film became a cult classic. H&M reportedly didn't turn a profit until about 12 years after its release, which is probably not something a studio would want to crow about. Gordon passed away just two years after that break-even moment.

There were no awards for Harold and Maude, but Cort and Gordon did grab a couple of Golden Globe nominations. The film's ending gets my vote if there is ever a category for Best Use of a Banjo Aside from Deliverance. 

We may want to pair wines both young and old, to honor the stars. Perhaps a Beaujolais Nouveau and a Champagne pulled from a turn-of-the-century shipwreck.  However, I would like to reference Cat Stevens from the movie's soundtrack. "Bring tea for the tillerman, steak for the sun, wine for the woman who made the rain come." Well, Pinot Noir has tea notes, it goes great with steak, and what better way to spend a rainy day? Maude Pinot Noir comes from the Mt. Maude Vineyard in Central Otago, New Zealand for around $25. 

In 1970's Brewster McCloud, Cort played the title role, a guy who lives in the Houston Astrodome. As living spaces go, the 'Dome offers plenty of room and great light, but it can get a bit chilly when the air conditioning is on. Which, in Houston, is most of the time. 

Director Robert Altman gave us McCloud as a modern day Icarus, who was building a pair of wings somewhere in the bowels of the world's Eighth Wonder. Like Icarus, Brewster wanted to fly, but failed in a spectacular fashion. 

When I lived in southeast Texas, I witnessed a number of baseball and football games in the Astrodome, but never did I encounter anyone working on a pair of wings. Even if I had, it would have been a bummer. A bird trying to fly its way out of an enclosed space is one of the sadder sights known to man. 

Afianes Wines has a Greek red named Icarus, made from Fokiano grapes. It comes with a picture of the birdman on the label and costs close to $70.

Brain Dead is a psychological horror movie from 1989. Psychological horror is what you have when the lab in the film is full of brains in jars. Any movie with brains in jars gets at least one good mark, more if one of the brains is from Abbie Normal.

Cort joins a couple of Bills in the cast, Pullman and Paxton. He plays a former genius at math who is now a resident at a funny farm. The brilliant doctor convinces him to undergo surgery that will either fix his addled brain or release all the secrets contained in it. Somehow, the lunatic gets to make the decision. 

There are plenty of lab coats in this picture. And plenty of cerebellums to play with. Everybody is a neuroscientist, it seems. Hey, it's not brain surgery. But wait… it is. Or is it? They keep you guessing until the credits roll. Just remember, it's not paranoia if they really are out to get your brain.

Sine Qua Non chief wine surgeon Manfred Krankl figured out a way to turn wine into money better than most others who have learned the trick. His 17th Nail In My Cranium is listed online at well over $1,000. Now, that's crazy. Anyone paying that much for a bottle of wine should have their head examined.

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Herzog, A Tradition For Passover

The Herzog family moved to the United States in 1948, but they had already been producing wine in their native Czechoslovakia for six generations. The Herzogs survived fascism and communism before leaving Europe for New York City, where they faced poverty and beat that, too. They now specialize in making kosher wines from a variety of locations in California, one of them being Clarksburg, on the Sacramento River.

The 2024 Herzog Special Reserve Clarksburg Pinot Noir has alcohol hitting 14% abv, and the bottle sells for about $40.

This wine exhibits the earth of Clarksburg, most notably. The nose also features cherry, mocha, and black tea aromas. The palate is somewhat rustic, with notes of cherry, raspberry, coffee, and cola coming forward. The tannins are firm, yet subtle. This is a kosher for Passover wine, non mevushal, and one that will provide a nice pairing with brisket or any other type of beef dish. 

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Bordeaux Right Bank - Eight Years Later

The 2018 Marius Bielle Lalande de Pomerol is a right bank wine from Bordeaux. In fact, it is labelled as a Grand Vin de Bordeaux. The appellation is Lalande de Pomerol, north of the Pomerol region. The grapes are grown organically and biodynamically, 97% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol sits at 14% and the retail price is about $41. 

This wine is inky dark. The nose is a savory expression of black plum, blackberry, anise, and a very faint whiff of smoke, much fainter than I expected. I kept waiting for some chocolate notes to appear, but I never got them. The aromas hit me as sharp, not soft, if that makes sense. The palate offers a fruitier side of the wine, with cassis, berries, and licorice in the mix. The tannins are quite firm yet, and they pucker the mouth a bit. The finish is long and savory. Hopefully you have a good steak at hand with which to pair it. 

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A Bargain From Bordeaux

Les Portes de Bordeaux 2023 is described on the label as a Grand Vin de Bordeaux, which hits close to the mark, if not directly on it. The portes, or gates, of Bordeaux are giant, ancient structures that date back almost a millennium. What does that have to do with this wine? Probably nothing, except that it is a wine produced in Bordeaux and the drawing of the gate looks good on the label. 

The maker is LWX Wines, which is a company that sources, produces, packages, and delivers exclusive adult beverages to retailers. This one came from Trader Joe's, where I often pick up wine for cooking. 

The 2023 Les Portes de Bordeaux handles that task easily, and it drinks nicely, too. The grapes are Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, alcohol is rather low, at 13% abv, and it costs $7 at Trader Joe's. 

This wine is inky dark in the glass. The nose is fairly beautiful, with a large whiff of black fruit like blackberry, blueberry, and currant dominating over the sniff of smoke and the note of graphite. The same sort of fruit is forward on the palate, and the tannic grip is enough, but not too much. It is a satisfying Bordeaux, and it worked well in my beef stew. 

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In Hungary It's Kékfrankos, But You Can Call It Blaufränkisch

Today’s wine comes from a little town in Hungary, Hajós, about a two hour drive south from Budapest. It’s from a winery called Sziegl Pince, but they call it Sziegl Winery. "They," by the way, are Petra and Balázs. They are Sziegl Winery, the two of them. They grow grapes and make wine from those grapes, and no doubt a lot more boring things that two people do to keep a business afloat.

Petra and Balázs say they "work exclusively with organic farming, love to experiment, {and} never make the same wine twice." They say they are “constantly looking for the new in the old.”

The grapes in question here are Kékfrankos, also known in some parts as Blaufränkisch. They were grown in the Hársfás-út vineyard in the vintage year 2020, which you may remember was a tough year for a lot of folks, not just winemakers. The Sziegl Kékfrankos has an alcohol level of 13.5% abv and a retail price of $42.

This wine has a medium-dark tint. The nose shows raspberry, minerality, and coffee notes. The palate brings a sense of Pinot Noir, but on the rustic side. Tart fruit takes a slightly sweeter role, while the tannins are firm, but forgiving. 

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Bubbles For Your Valentine

The Albert Bichot Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé will add some sparkle to your Valentine's Day, at a nice price. 

Crémant is the name for French sparkling wine made in places other than Champagne. The grapes are 80% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay, and a splash of Gamay, just for fun. The Pinot was grown in the Côtes Chalonnaise region, the Chardonnay came from Auxerrois, while the Gamay hails from Mâconnais. Alcohol hits only 12% abv and it can be found for less than $30. 

This wine has a brilliant pink color and produces plenty of fine white froth on the pour. The nose has a striking note of orange, joined by raspberry, cherry, and mineral aromas. The mouthfeel is full and fruit flavors nudge the toasty aspect over a bit. Medium acidity makes for a nice sip, and a pairing with cheese comes naturally. 

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A Bargain Lambrusco Rings The Bell

I have never had a Lambrusco that I absolutely hated, so it's easy for me to spot a potential bargain. The Le Grotte Lambrusco Rosso Dolce is only about $5 at Trader Joe's, so the price is right for a bargain wine, now it just has to be good. 

The wine is subtitled as a "soft red wine," which I suppose is accurate, but the reference to "sweet" is a little off base. It’s a bit darker and more earthy than those words imply. The grapes come from Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, and alcohol checks in low at only 8.5% abv.

This wine is slightly frizzante upon pouring, the purple bubbles dissipating quickly. A whiff reveals fragrant, ripe cherries and concord grapes. The palate is soft and round, full of fresh fruit, a touch of earth and some tingly acidity. Complexity is not the issue here, as it might be with other Lambruscos. This is an extremely drinkable and food-friendly wine. A true bargain. 

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Champagne for Valentine's Day

With Valentine's Day on the horizon, we always find ourselves looking for pink wines. With bubbles, please. It's more romantic that way.

Champagne Mandois is located in the Premier Cru village of Pierry. The estate is under the control of the same family who has owned and operated it for nine generations. That's close to 250 Valentine's Days.

The Mandois non-vintage Brut Rosé Grande Réserve is made up of 30% Chardonnay grapes, 35% Pinot Noir, and 35% Pinot Meunier. Alcohol stays low at 12% abv and the retail price is $70. 

This wine pours up with a salmon pink color. The white bubbles disappear rather quickly. Aromas of ripe strawberry explode from the nose, mixing with a bit of lemon peel. The palate shows a bushel of red fruit along with a strong minerality and a citrus undercurrent. The acidity is lively and refreshing. Big time drinkability joins extreme food friendliness in this bubbly. 

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Light And Bouncy Red From Ribeiro

The 2022 Cume do Avia Colleita No. 10 is a light red wine from Spain’s Ribeiro region, in Galicia. The Source Imports, of Moorpark, CA, have some rich notes about the winery and the grapes. 

The main grape is Caiño Longo (40%), one of the oldest known indigenous varieties in Ribeiro. The importer calls it a “lightning bolt of freshness with an atomic level of expansive energy.” Makes you want to open it right away, doesn’t it? Sousón (34%) has a “turbo charge of natural acidity,” while Brancellao (26%) is “dainty, thin framed, soft spoken and subtly powerful.” The region is cool anyway, and the fruit is picked on the early side of ripeness.

Cume do Avia’s “geologically complex mountainside vineyards are composed of granodiorite, schist, slate, and gneiss bedrock, clay and sand topsoil” overlooking the Avia and Miño Rivers.

Colleita 10 Tinto is 40% whole cluster, aged nine months in large, ancient chestnut foudres. It is lightly filtered before bottling. Alcohol is a lilting 11% abv while the retail price is $26.

The wine has a medium-light ruby color. The aromatic nose is nearly all minerals, with raspberry and black pepper notes. The palate is smooth and savory, with tart red fruit flavors. The taste reminds me of a very Burgundian Pinot Noir or a Schiava from Italy’s Alpine region. The tannins are quite relaxed, and the acidity is on the tame side, too. It is a tasty wine, though. Pair it with soft cheese or a fruit plate. 

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